Who We Are
As a neighborhood platform for arts and culture in Washington Park, Arts + Public Life (APL) is an initiative of UChicago Arts at the University of Chicago launched in 2011 that provides residencies for Black and Brown artists and creative entrepreneurs, arts education for youth, and artist-led programming and exhibitions.
Arts + Public Life operates on the Arts Block, a vibrant collection of cultural and commercial spaces along Garfield Boulevard between Prairie Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in Washington Park.
BACKGROUND
APL was established in 2011 to promote a robust and equitable relationship between the University of Chicago and the South Side’s vibrant civic, cultural, and artistic communities. The initiative’s unique practice, and the creation of an internal APL team called Place Lab, gave shape throughout 2014-2017 to the development of the principles of Ethical Redevelopment. Ethical Redevelopment is the culture-based, artist-led, neighborhood driven development work modeled on the artistic practice of APL founder Theaster Gates at his nonprofit Rebuild Foundation, at Place Lab, and at Arts + Public Life.
An impact report conducted in 2017 by University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy students found this practice had a significant positive impact in the areas of economic, artistic, social, and human capital in Washington Park and surrounding neighborhoods.
OUR MISSION
Arts + Public Life (APL) is a dynamic hub of exploration, expression, and exchange that centers people of color and fosters neighborhood vibrancy through the arts on the South Side of Chicago.
OUR VALUES
We center people of color
We center Black and Brown people in all aspects of our work. APL’s programs and projects are designed primarily by, with, and for participants, audiences and artists of color. We are constantly striving to be an anti-racist arts organization, and our team is steadfast in work that ensures equity and expanded opportunities for all communities of color.
We are intentional
We prioritize thoughtful, in-depth partnership and programming, and reject the pressure of mass production. That means we take it slow to get it right, acknowledge hard conversations when we need to, and prioritize making meaningful work for both our team and our communities.
We are good neighbors
We believe that coming together and sharing space, skill, and time forges bonds and builds community. We describe ourselves as a hub because we see ourselves as a space to gather, to connect people, to share ideas, resources, and knowledge, and, above all, to support each other. We are part of a broad, rich network of exchange that makes up our neighborhood, the South Side, and our city.
We co-create
Equity is based in exchange and authentic relationships. We are a part of the communities we serve, and our work is done in ongoing conversation. We are indebted to the South Side’s cultural legacy, and honor the aspirations of our neighbors. Our programs are designed to be relevant to our South Side home, and our work is a celebration of the richness of cultural production already happening around us.
We build access + break ground
At APL, we build access, both literally and figuratively, when we redevelop unused or underutilized space and construct new venues for public gathering. With bricks and mortar, and with programs and relationships, we build spaces as a process of building connection. Our spaces are multi-generational gathering spots, platforms for connecting people, access points to the university, and hubs for conversation, creativity, and exchange.
We believe artists are catalysts for change
We believe in the transformative power of the arts to shape and nourish our communities, neighborhoods, and city.
OUR VISION
APL’s community partnership model demonstrates the power of the arts to transform communities. We support a rich ecosystem of artists, youth, and entrepreneurs of color who are the cornerstones of our thriving neighborhoods and catalysts for a vibrant Washington Park and South Side.
Arts + Public Life thrives thanks to the support of a community of generous donors whose gifts have sustained Arts + Public Life, Green Line Performing Arts Center, L1 Creative Business Accelerator, and the vibrant creativity happening every day on the Arts Block. Thank you in particular to:
After School Matters
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
Bank of America
The Bergman Family
City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
Chicago Community Trust
Bernard J. DelGiorno
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Efroymson Family Foundation
Graham Foundation
The Irving Harris Foundation
Illinois Arts Council
Illinois Humanities Council
Raymond J. Iwanowski
National Endowment for the Arts
Walder Foundation
